Student Employee Leave Time
Did you know student employees have access to paid leave time? Well now you do!
See below for details on the two types of leave that student employees are eligible for.
Paid Sick Leave
In compliance with the Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), non-benefited employees (including hourly student employees) earn one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked. GXAs accrue a flat amount of four hours of paid sick leave each month. Resident Assistants do not accrue leave for their RA role due to receiving compensation in the form of housing. Resident Assistants that perform hourly Desk Assistant duties earn one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked as a Desk Assistant.
Allowable Reasons for Paid Sick Leave
Sick leave can be used for the following, an employee:
- Has a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition that prevents the employee from working
- Needs to obtain a medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition
- Needs to obtain preventive medical care
- The employee needs to care for a family member who:
- Has a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition
- Needs to obtain a medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition
- Needs to obtain preventive medical care
- The employee or the employee’s family member has been the victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment and the use of leave is to:
- Seek medical attention for the employee or the employee’s family member to recover from a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition caused by the domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment
- Obtain services from a victim services organization
- Obtain mental health or other counseling
- Seek relocation due to the domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment
- Seek legal services, including preparation for or participation in a civil or criminal proceeding relating to or resulting from the domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment
- Is grieving or attending the funeral or memorial service after the death of a family member
- Is caring for a family member whose school or place of care has been closed because of inclement weather
- Is evacuating their residence because of inclement weather or loss of power or water
The maximum number of paid sick hours student employees can accrue is forty-eight hours. Student employees should provide as much notice as possible to their supervisor if they need to use sick leave. If an employee is absent for more than four days, they will be required to provide documentation to support the use of sick leave. For more information on sick leave, see here (requires DU login).
Colorado FAMLI Leave Program
The FAMLI program provides all eligible employees a portion of their weekly salary for up to 12 weeks of leave to care for themselves or a family member, with an additional four weeks of leave for complications during pregnancy or childbirth. FAMLI leave can be used by all employees (including student employees) who work and reside in Colorado who have earned at least $2,500 in wages over a period of about a year. Employees may also receive job protection through FAMLI after 180 days of employment.
FAMLI will provide 12-16 weeks of paid leave for the following events:
- To manage their own serious health condition.
- To care for a family member with a serious health condition.
- To care for a new child (within the first year of birth, foster placement or adoption).
- To make arrangements for military deployments.
- To address immediate safety needs and impact of domestic violence or sexual assault.
